


Give Me Something

by flamewarflipsides



Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Costume, Dark of the Moon, Death, Disguise, Gen, Halloween, Present Tense, Spoilers, give me your face, revenge of the fallen, trick-or-treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-18
Updated: 2013-10-18
Packaged: 2017-12-29 19:05:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1008951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamewarflipsides/pseuds/flamewarflipsides
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lennox has some ideas about where he wants to take Annabelle trick-or-treating this year, and what kind of costume to give her. No one said those ideas were any good. LiteraryFanfiction's Flash Fan Fiction Friday: prompt "Costumes and Disguises."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give Me Something

The cool gray moon shines down on the neighborhood, lighting up the white text on the exit sign. It's a few miles to Fort Meade yet, but this is their exit.

They comb through the streets, eyes wide like explorers even as the onboard GPS tells them where to go. Annabelle chatters excitedly in the seat next to her father, adjusting the robot mask and talking about the candy she'll get in such a fancy neighborhood.

They must be violating all sorts of local ordinances by now, the semi rolling down the narrow, busy streets. Any other day and the kids would know the truck; they would scream greetings and gratitude. Today, the flames are just a costume of their own, and the little ghosts and ghouls only smile and thumbs-up. Today, Optimus Prime is just another grownup who really loves Halloween.

They park at the end of the street, but William's eyes fix further down. He can see the house there: stained glass windows in the door, and not a pumpkin in sight.

William Lennox reaches over, adjusting her mask. "Be careful out there, kiddo."

"Sure thing, dad."

Optimus pops the door for her, and she leaps out with a crinkling of foil and plastic, landing with a grunt. She dashes off, a black blur with a trailing basket. The first house is covered in decorations: plastic shuddering ghosts, cobwebs hanging from trees, and a strobe light in the window. A woman in a black with green face paint answers the door, dropping a candy apple into Annabelle's basket.

The next house is plainer, just window clings and jack-o-lanterns. The man who answers it is another story: his uniform's embroidery seems ornate even from a distance, and his blue contacts are so bright William can see them from Optimus' seat. He hands Annabelle a candy bar larger than her hand.

Then she reaches her true destination: The sparse blue house with the stained glass windows in the door. She reaches up and rings the doorbell. The woman who answers wears no costume, or at least none for Halloween. William doesn't know what label it is, but he knows that suit is designer, and he knows that short blonde ponytail came out of a bottle.

He can't hear them speak, but he knows what the woman says as her face crumbles, brow furrowing, mouth drawing. "What are you supposed to be, kid?"

"I'm Ironhide!" Annabelle chirps, shifting her weight to the other foot.

The woman looks up, past the black-clad robot child, and William fights a shudder. He feels naked, unmasked.

Optimus' voice interrupts him. "Is something the matter, Lennox?"

William looks up from his paperwork. "No, sorry. Just thinking about Halloween. Annabelle wants to be a princess."

Optimus nods as if he understands, but William knows he doesn't.

"I'll go with her this year."

"Will you wear a mask?"

Lennox smiles, finding an excuse to look at his paperwork. "Only if I can find one of your face."


End file.
